Thin-place detector



w; F. CLAYTON THIN PLACE DETECTOR Dec. 11, 1923. 1,477,034

Filed May 23, 1921 s Sheets-Shee 1 wlliafltl'j lttyz on Dec. 113 1923. 1,477,034

W. F. CLAYTON THIN PLACE DETECTOR Filed May 23. 1921 Dec. 11, 1923.

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aww zo uk [Z Patented Dec. 11, 1923.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM F. CLAYTON, or HUNTSVI LE, ALABAMA, ASSIGNOR or ONE-THIRD To ROBERT E. SMITH, or HUNTSVILLE, ALABAMA.

THIN-PLACE DETECTOR.

Application filed May 23, 1921. Serial No. 471,892.

To all whom it may concern: 1 1

Be it known that I, WILLIAM F. CLAYTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Huntsville, in the county of Madison and State of Alabama, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Thin-Place Detectors, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relatestoimprovements in means for detecting the presence of thin places in fabrics and for automatically remedying such defects.

The general object of my invention is the provision of means for the automatic control of the operation of a loom, by which means the loom iskept in continuous operation and thick and thin places in the weave are pre vented.

An object of my invention is the con struction of a device which will detect, after a certain predetermined number of picks, a thin place in a fabric while it is being woven.

A further object of my invention is the construction of an automaticdevice which will let back the cloth the exact number of picks necessary to restart the shuttle, when a thin place has occurred and has been detected by invention, to fill in the thin place by beginning the weaving at the exact point where the thin place occurred.

A further object of my invention isto raise the arm-of the thin place detector after the point thereof has fallen through the thin place; and has thusstarted the operation of my improved mechanism which fills in the thin placea By the operation of my invention'thedetector arm is returned to its proper place on the cloth after the thin place has been remedied.

A further object of my'invention is the construction ofa device which will operate only when the filling fork fails to operate.

A further object of my invention is the construction of a detector which may be adjusted as to the distance from the weft the head thereof may be placed, and also which may be. adjusted relative to the distance from the snakehead' the lever controlled by the detector may be placed.

A still further object of my invention is the construction of a device which may be used on the ordinary Draper loom without removing the'filling fork which is used on that loom.

With these and further objects in View, I have presented in the drawings one embodiment of my invention, in which drawings:

Figure 1 shows my invention in perspective as it appears whenviewed from the top of a Draper'loom, with parts omitted not necessary to disclose my invention. A

Figure 2 is a perspective as the part appear viewed from the right of the mechanism appearing inFigure 1;

Figure 3 is a side elevation showing in solid lines the parts as they appear viewedfrom the left of the mechanism shown in Figure 1; the conventional filling fork, slide, brass and adjacent parts are shown in dotted lines while the improved form of snake head to be used on looms with double filling forks is shown in full lines. 1

Figure A is a perspective of the support which is connected to the frame of a Draper loom and which controls the take-up wheel;

Figure 5 shows the starting rod withcertain connections thereon;

Figure 6 shows the means of fastening the collar to the support disclosed in Figure 4;

Figure 7 shows the connection between the lever and the arm connected with the takeup wheel;

Figure 8 is a detail showing the starting rod with certain attachments;

Figure 9 is a front elevation of a device to be used with a loom equipped with a double filling fork;

Figure 10 is; a perspective of the same device taken at a right angle to the view shown in Figure 9; Y a v Figure 11 shows a clamp to be used with the device shown in'Figures 9 andlG; and

Figure12 is a guiding means for the detector rod. v

This invention is adapted for use on looms having automatic fillingreplenishing mechanism, such as is referred tom the patent to Northrop, No. 529,940, of November 27, 1894, and the patent to Dunaway, No. 972,833, of October 18, 1910. v

It may be stated that my invention is'attached to the rod which controls the replenishing mechanism, the attachment being at or near the center of the loom and at the filling fork end of the starting rod. A lever, to be described, lies over the snake head or weft hammer. Another lever lies under the ratchet which controls the take-up wheel. Another part of my invention is ad as, w v p 1,477,034

justed to the thin place detector in a manner requiring the starting rod to operate when the filling fork fails. My device is so adjusted thatvwhen it begins to operate, it

controls the take-up wheel, letting off as be adjustedby a collar 7 and a set screw 8.-

The part 9 of this detector is joined to the arm 4 by meansof a connection 10 having a set screw 11 to fix the'part 9 and another screw 12 to fix the part 4 thereof. Having the detector of two'parts enables it to be easily installed on'a loom and to be adjusted. The detector is steadied in its positi'on'by aloop lSattached to the breast beam land by an adjustable sleeve 14 also attached to the breast beam. The part 9 of the detectorarm is connected by a loop 15 to a lever which operates in connection with the snake head of the loom.

' It will be apparent that when the resilient point of the detector reaches a thin place in the fabric it will fall through the fabric, which action will cause the lei er 16 to come in contact with thebrass of the snake head. a'special form 62 of which'is shown as a part of my invention- The means of controlling the detector will now be described. This means consists of an arm 18, having at one end thereof a part 19 extending at a right angle to the arm. This right angle part has a slot 20 through which the detector arm 4 extends. On this arm is attached a rock arm 21 which is connected with the starting rod or rock shaft 2. When the starting rod is actuated by the detector falling through the fabric, which action will be later described,-the rock arm 21, which is forced back by the movement of the starting rod, raises the detector to the position shown in dotted lines'in FigureQ, that is, raises the point of the detector by forcing the arm 18 to the rear. The rock arm 21 has a sleeve 22 encircling the starting rod. Another sleeve 23 attached to the starting rod by set screw 24 has longitudinal slots 25 thereln, four being shown in the drawing. in one of which is placed one end of a coil spring 26. A plurality of slots in the sleeve 23 enables the set screw to be placed under the rod and out of the way of persons working at the loom. The other end of the coil. spring is inserted in the rock arm 21 keeping it steady and firm. A third sleeve 27, which is also attached to the starting rod by set screw 28 has an extension 29 which contacts with the extension of the sleeve 22 of the rock arm 21. By means of the connection described the movement of the starting rod is imparted to the arm which controls the detector.

The arm 18 has pivotally attached thereto an adjustment member 30. The position of this member on the arm 18 may be varied by means of extra holes 31 in this member and by a slot Z52 in (hr arm E8. The flat part or foot 33 of the member 30, which extends at a right angle to the shank thereof, has a roughened lower part to contact with the fabric while it is being woven. To the upper end of the shank of the adjustment member is connected a coil spring 34, the other end of which is attached to a bracket 35 adjustably attached to the arm 18. The maximum rearward movement of the cloth contacting part of the adjustment member is controlled by a stop 36 attached to the arm 18. Y

The lever 16 is actuated by the detector head falling through a thin place in the fabric, the parts connected with the lever being forced by the snake head on which the end of the lever drops to the position indicated in dotted lines in lfiigure 2' The lever 16 is pivotally connected by a hinge 37 with arm 38, which encircles starting rod 2, and which is turned by the movement of lever 16 due to the connection of the arm 38 with the rod 2. This connection consists of a sleeve 39 having a set screw 40, and a sleeve 41 having a set screw 42. The part 43 of the sleeve 41 cooperates with the part 44 of the arm 38. As shown in Fig. 1, the parts 43 and 44 are normally in contact on the upper side of the rod, so that movement of the arm 38 will rock the rod; but, as shown in Fig. 5, the parts 43 and 44 are normally out of contact beneath the rod, so that the rod may be rocked by the usual filling fork connection, not shown, without movement of of arm 38.

To the lower end of the arm 38 is pivotally attached an adjustment lever 45 which acts on the detent 46, which is a convention a] part of a Draper loom, as are also the take up lever 47 and the take-up wheel 48.

The part of my invention shown in Figure 4 is fastened to the frame of a loom. the frame not being shown, near the take-up wheel. A plate 49., having a slot 50 therein by means of which the position of the a1- taclnnent thereto may be regulated, is fastoned to the frame, not shown, of a loom, the head of the attaching bolt being shown merely to illustrate the attaching means. Pivotally fastened to the upper part of the plate 49 is a link 51 which swings within a bracket 52 bolted to the plate 49 in which is a second slot 53, as shown in Figure 6, in order that the position of the bracket may be adjusted. At the bottom of the link 51. is a pawl 54, the point of which, by means lihl of a spring 55, is kept normally in contact with the take-up wheel 48. The distance the link 51 may be swung, and consequently the distance or number of picks the take-up wheel is let back, depends upon the adjustment of the bracket 52. This link, bracket, and pawl constitute a let-back or device which lets back the take-up wheel farther than the ordinary let-back pawl, not shown, which is a part of the mechanism set in operation by the filling fork of the Draper loom, as shown, for example, in Dunaway, referred to above.

The operation of my invention will be understood from the description given, and may be briefly described as follows: The distance of the resilient head from the edge of the cloth is adjusted by means of my twopiece detector. The distance of the lever from the snake head is also adjusted by means of the two-piece detector. When the number of picks which may fail before the detector will act has been determined, the proper adjustment of the bracket controlling the link 51 is made. When the detector head falls through the warp, the lever is caught by the snake head, which results in pushing the lever back, turning the rod which controls the replenishment. The takeup wheel is let back the number of picks or the distance previously determined by the action of the arm 38, freeing the take-up wheel to turn until stopped by the link 51 striking against the side of the bracket 52. The rocking of the starting rod has at the same time pushed back the arm 21, raising the head of the detector, as illustrated in Figure 2, and throwing forward the adjuster to the position indicated. A new filling has been put in by the operation of the startlng rod and the normal action of the loom is resumed, resulting in both the arms 38 and 21 resuming their normal positions and the parts connected to both arms becoming operative in the same way in which. they were before the resilient head detected the thin place and fell through the warp.

My invention may be applied in an obvious manner to a loom having a single filling fork, the member 16 being brought into contact with a portion of the brass on the snake head that cooperates with the usual filling fork. In looms having two filling forks one at each side of the loom, it is common to have one filling fork control the operation of the replenishing mechanism directly, while the other filling fork acts indirectly on the same means to control the replenishing. In Figure 3, the directlyopcrating filling fork is: indicated at 64, and is operatively related in the usual manner to brass 17 and a member 65 is indicated as co-operating with the same brass, this being the member controlled by the other filling fork, not shown. Spring 66 and filling motion slide 67 are indicated as part of the means by which member 65 is controlled. Examples of the use of the filling forks used in this manner are shown in the patents to Stafford, No. 727,014, May 5, 1903; Stimpson No. 7 54,024, March 8, 1904 and Bernier No. 1,107,400, August 18, 1914. My invention could be used with looms of this character by dispensing with the secondaryfilling fork and having member 16 contact the brass in place of the member 65; but in order to use the secondary filling fork, it is necessary to utilize the improvement disclosed in Figures 3, 9, 10 and 11. To the shank or lever 56 of the snake head, as used on a Draper loom, there is attached an improved arm 57 by means of an expanded base 58 which cooperates with the plate 59 on the opposite side of the shank of the snake head.

The plate and the base are caused to grip the shank by means of bolts or similar fastening means 60 and 61. My nnproved arm reaches above the usual form of the brass of the snake head 17 and the member 65 and necessary associated parts and has at the top thereof a new form of snake head 62 with which the lever 16 engages when my improvement is used with a loom having a double filling fork. A part of the conventional filling fork slide 63 is shown in Figure 10 for the purpose of indicating the position of the improved lever.

I claim:

1. In a loom having automatic fillingreplenishing mechanism normally operated by the usual filling fork, a thin place detector comprising a finger resting on the cloth a definite distance from the fell, a let-back device for letting back the cloth a corresponding definite distance, and mechanism connected to the finger for initiating the functioning of the let back device to let back the cloth the said corresponding definite distance.

2. In a loom having automatic fillingreplenishing mechanism normally operated by the usual filling fork, a thin place detector comprising a finger and an adjustable arm holding the finger in contact with the cloth a definite distance from the fell, an adjustable device for letting back the cloth a corresponding definite distance, and mechanism connected to the finger for initiating the functioning of the let-back device to let back the cloth the said corresponding definitc distance.

3. In combination in a loom, a take-up wheel and ratchet operating mechanism, a. let-back pawl for letting back the cloth a definite predetermined distance, a. thin place detector, and means set in operation by the detecting action of the detector for freeing the ratchet from its operating means and allowing the let-back pawl to function.

4. In combination in a loom, a take-up ratchet wheel and ratchet operating mechanism, an adjustable let-back pawl for letting back the cloth a definite predetermined distance, a thin place detector adjustable to contact the cloth the desired distance from the fell, and means set in operation by the detecting action of the detector for freeing the ratchet from its operating means and allowing the let-back pawl to function.

5. In a combination in a loom having antomatic filling-replenishing mechanism. a take-up ratchet wheel and ratchet operating means, a left-back pawl for letting back the cloth a definite predetermined distance, a thin place detector, and means set in operation by the detecting action of the detector for freeing the ratchet from its operating El-185L118 and allowing the let-back pawl to function, and for setting in operation the filling replenishing mechanism.

6. In combination in a loom having automatic filling-replenishing mechanism, a take-up ratchet wheel and ratchet operating means, an adjustable let-back pawl for letting back the cloth a definite predetermined distance, a thin place detector adjustable to contact the cloth the desired distance from the fell, and means set in operation by the detecting action of the detector for freeing the ratchet from its operating means and allowing the let-back pawl to function, and for setting in operation the filling-re plenishing mechanism.

7. Ina loom, a rock shaft for setting in operation automatic filling replenishing mechanism, a thin place detector comprising a feeling finger normally resting on the cloth adjacent the fell, connections causing the falling of the finger to set in operation the rock shaft, and means operated by the rock shaft for raising the finger.

8. In a loom, a thin place detector comprising a feeling finger, a finger supporting arm, an arm controller supported independently ofthe arm, a lost motion connection between the arm and controller, and means set in operation by the dropping of the fingerto cause the controller to raise the arm. I

9. Ina loom, a thin place detector comprising a feeling finger, a finger supporting arm, an arm cont-roller, the arm passing loosely through a slot in the controller, means set in operation by the dropping of the finger to cause the controller to raise the arm, a member pivoted to the controller and normally resting on the cloth, and an adjustable stop for limiting the movement of the member above its pivot.

10. In a loom, a thin place detector comprising a finger and an arm holding the finger resting on the cloth a definite distance from the fell, a let-back device for letting the cloth back the same definite distance. a finger supporting means for supporting the finger off of the cloth while the cloth is being taken up the same definite distance, and connections causing the detecting action of the finger to initiate the functioning of the let-back divice and supporting means.

11. In a loom, a. thin place detector coon prising a finger and an adjustable arm hold-- ing the finger resting on the cloth a definite distance back of the fell, an a iljustablo letback device for letting the cloth hack the same definite distance, an adjustable finger supporting means for supporting the finger off of the cloth while the cloth is being taken up the same definite distance, and connections causing the detecting action of the finger to initiate the functioning of the let-back device and supporting means.

12. In a loom, a thin place detector comprising a feeling finger, a member having an extended foot normally resting llaton the cloth, a mounting for the member that will cause it to assume its normal position when the cloth is taken up and will allow it to tilt when the cloth is let back, and connections between the member and the linger allowing the finger to drop through a thin place when the member is in normal position and raising the finger oil of the cloth when the member is tilted.

13. A thin place detector adapted for use on an automatic filling replenishing loom having a main filling :tork dlrectl controlling the replenishing device and a secondary filling fork operating indirectly through the operating mechanism of the first filling fork, comprising a member connected to the replenishing control device,'a feeling finger controlling the position of said member and a special snake head brass adapted to be connected below, pass to one side of and rise above the usual brass and its co-operating parts controlled by the secondary filling fork, and to be engaged by said member upon the feeling finger detecting a thin place.

In testimony whereof I al'lix my signature.

WILLIAM F. CLAYTON. 

